African Boy
by nakota2mustang
Summary: What if Alex aka Alakay remained in the reserve? How would he react to three zoo animals from this so-called land of "New York?" What solves the problem when Makunga takes over the watering hole? Please review!
1. The Scar

What if Alakay kept his name and never left the reserve? What if Makunga really did take over? What if Alakay looked, smelled, and sounded completely different? Would Alakay have more siblings if he stayed with the pride? What would happen next when three strange zoo animals arrived at the reserve?

This might probably be my best chapter so far... I'm not sure.

Please, read and review. I take comments, praise, and criticism. But, please, no flames. This is my second fic and I hope you like it!

Enjoy!

**Chapter One**

**The Scar**

"Da-DA!!!"

Zuba raced against time in order to save his only son. He skidded across the muddy roads, with his glowing yellow eyes bloodshot with fear and exhaustion still watching the crate as it bobbed up and down on the poachers' truck.

"Da-deeeee!" the cub inside the box wailed.

With a grunt, Zuba leapt from the cliffs at the right. He grabbed ahold of – instead of the crate – the sides of the Jeep.

A poacher noticed this and looked in his rearview mirror. He spoke angrily with his other two men.

_Click. _Just when Zuba was about to rip the ropes off of his son's crate... _BANG._

"DA-DA!!!" the cub screamed at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, the cub clung to the walls with his small claws. The Jeep took a sharp turn, knocking into a rainforest tree. The cub slid forward, ramming into the sides of the crate and bruising his jaw.

"AHHH!" the cub screamed.

Light poured in from the sides of the crate. It had a chance of breaking open again when a large, thudding slam hit the truck.

It was Zuba. One paw clutching his bleeding ear, another paw running over his son's crate. He heard the loud commotion coming from the front of the Jeep.

"Hold on," Zuba whispered to his son, who poked his eyes out of the breathing hole. "Daddy's got you."

He added, "I promise I'll always be with you, Alakay."

Alakay nodded as he watched his father dodge another bullet. Zuba's tail caught ahold of the sides of the truck, and so did his hind legs. His front paw reached for the crate, and suddenly jerked it backwards with him when another bullet raced just short of Zuba's mane.

The two lions tumbled onto the road. The poachers groaned, and then, fearing they'd be caught, raced off in their Jeep.

Zuba, with all the strength he had left, silently opened the crate. A bundle of small spotted and striped fur bounded out, leaping onto Zuba and giggling. Alakay paused, frowning, and touching his father's injured ear lightly.

"It'll be all right," Zuba said. "As long as you're here with me, everything will be all right."

Father and son looked into each other's eyes as Zuba stood up and carried Alakay all the way home.

Did I make you cry? Please let me know if I made you cry... it almost made me. Once again, please read and review! Mild criticism (but no flames) allowed!


	2. The Cubs Grow Older

Now, _here's_ my best chapter.

Okay... second best...

And I'm sorry about the goof on the second chapter... I'm a newbie.

But I'll try to upload as soon as possible! The sooner you review, the sooner I upload! Please give comments and criticism! No flames, please!

Enjoy!

**Chapter One**

**The Cubs Grow Older**

Florrie ran her paw over her son's jaw. She turned and looked into Zuba's eyes. "He's scarred."

Zuba nodded. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure it's nothin' but a big bruise and it'll go away in a bit of time."

Florrie smiled under her tears. She sat herself down and carried Alakay all the way to his room. Alakay gave his mother a look that said, _I'm not tired. It's been a great day today! Let's do it again!_

"Alakay..." Florrie chuckled. "You know you've had a rough day today. Daddy told me the whole story today." The lioness chuckled again, picking up Alakay in both paws and placing him on the rock bed. "Mommy wants you to go to sleep, now."

Alakay groaned. He circled his bed twice, then laid himself down in the correct position.

Florrie turned to Zuba, and gasped when her eyes reached his ear. "Oh, my—Zuba, are you sure you're okay—"

"Look at me, woman, I'm fine." Zuba pulled out of Florrie's grasp. He touched his ear. "Just a little kitty fight, is all."

Florrie sighed. "Makunga? Ooh... if Makunga did that, I swear I'll..."

"Florrie, no, it wasn't Makunga. You know Makunga wouldn't do anything like that."

Florrie blew air from under her lips and crossed her arms. "Yeah, right."

"Honey," Zuba took Florrie's paws with his. "The hunters did this." He pointed to his left ear with the hole puncture in it.

A paw drew close to Florrie's gaping mouth. "Oh, my... they'd do something like that."

"Not even the power of a lion could do something close to this," Zuba explained.

Florrie nodded. She glanced behind her shoulder to see Alakay, sucking his thumb on his rock bed. She walked over and gave her son a small kiss on the cheek, covering him with his "foofie", as he liked to call it. Florrie walked back to Zuba and put a finger to her mouth.

As the couple left the cave, Alakay sat up. He smiled. Then, he gripped his Foofie in one paw and rotated himself. He slept at the opposite end of the bed using his Foofie as a pillow.

***********************

Sunlight glimmered across the watering hole. A young lion had his eyes intent on something. The cub's blue eyes shot this way and that, mostly staying in one place, like a laser beam.

_Splash! _

"Oh, crud..."

_Splash!_

"Oh, man."

_Splash!_

This time, Alakay felt his claws sink into something. He lifted his paws and found a medium-sized fish pierced by his strong, adolescent claws.

"Alakay, that's not the way to fish, and you know that."

Startled, Alakay jerked himself around... and sighed in relief. A dark brown cub sat near the rim of the pool, looking into the waters. His eyes were blue – a little darker tone that of Alakay's. And a small, black-brown tuft hung from the top of his head as the cub turned to smile at Alakay, who returned the greeting.

"Austako, what do I always tell you?" Alakay exploded, smiling a little. "Never to interrupt me when I'm fishing. And, yeah, I know how to fish." The cub turned his attention to the waters again. "I'm just..."

"Experimenting a little?" Austako asked.

Alakay nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Oh, it just figures." Austako circled around his friend. "Since you're, like, the best fisher in the reserve."

"I'm not the _best_ fisher."

"Oh, don't do that. You just don't want all the attention, that's all."

"No. My father's better than me. You should see him."

"Your father's the Alpha lion!" Austako explained, trying to clear up Alakay's future a bit. This is what Austako liked to do; brag to all his friends that he was the Alpha's son's best buddy. "If you've inherited some of his traits, why don't you just try to use them, h'm? Zuba wants you to follow in his steps, and if nobody knows that you're a great fisher and fighter, they won't vote for you as Alpha lion, right?"

Alakay frowned. "Fighter? What are you talking about? I'm not a fighter."

"Haven't you heard?" said Austako. "Today's the Rite of Passage ceremony!"

_The Rite of Passage? _Alakay wanted to faint. At least one or two cubs per year failed the test. What if he was one of them?

Alakay gulped.

"Don't be a fraidy-cat, Al." Austako encouraged. "Just let out that inner lion. The Alpha's son is not gonna lose, am I right?"

"Right." Alakay choked.


	3. The Rite of Passage Ceremony

Here's another chapter... one of the longest chapters...

Today, I counted 15 claps of thunder. I came back from church and started counting. That's a record for my life!

And, just to let you know, you're pretty lucky if I upload twice in one day. So, here's chap 3! You might not see a new chapter these next five days, since I'm going to a horse-riding camp! :D I love horses!

I'm sorry about the goof on the last chapter... I'm too lazy to edit it...

Well, here's chapter three! Woohoo! Finally, another chapter finished...

*******************

**Chapter Three**

**The Rite of Passage Ceremony**

_Gulp. _Alakay clutched his throat. He rubbed it with his one paw as he gazed into the dried fruits with paint in them. Austako glanced back at his friend.

"Alakay, are you all right?" Austako inquired. "You look sick or something."

Alakay's face turned pale. "No, no, I'm completely fine." Alakay coughed, then chuckled uneasily. "Well, I'm just... there's something stuck in my throat." _Cough._

"Do you need a witch doctor?"

"No, I'm fine."

A grin swiped across Austako's face. "Just a little stage fright, kitty-cat?"

Alakay said, "Yeah. And _don't _say that I'm the Alpha's son and I gotta do my thing."

Austako nodded, but then he frowned. "Hm, you know, you don't need that type of look on your face."

The cub licked his paw and wiped it across Alakay's cheek. It wiped away some of the red paint that was painted there.

"There. Now, let's give you a good look, right?"

Alakay nodded as he watched his friend dip his paw into blue paint and make two stripes on each of his eyes. Austako pondered a moment, then he found black paint and made dots around the corners of his ears and elbows.

"How about that?" the black cub laughed. "Am I that good?"

Alakay examined his body. "Wow. You are."

Austako wore white paint, all over his cheeks and ears and paws. Two other cubs in the background were painting themselves with yellow and red.

In the midst of all this, drums began to play in the arena. Lions chanted. Alakay's insides buzzed with excitement as he listened closely to the music playing.

"Dude, dude, stop that!" Austako gripped his friend by the arms. "You're shaking like a hummingbird, for goodness sakes!"

Alakay nodded. "But it's a good shake." He said. "I'm just so... nervous. I-I didn't even practice yet..."

Suddenly, the lions cheered. The two cubs raced past Alakay and Austako to line up near the entrance. Austako looked into Alakay's eyes.

"You ready to see your dad, _the Alpha?"_

"Pl-eese, Austako. Stop pushing it in my face."

Four cubs danced out into the arena. Drums pounded as loud as earthquakes. Even some of the animals relaxing at the watering hole heard the ruckus. Lions chanted ancient Swahili chants Alakay could not yet understand.

"_Habari, _Alakay! _Habari!" _Florrie cheered, clapping for her son.

In Swahilian language, _Habari _meant _Hello. _That was the only word Alakay knew, so far, and so he gave his mother two thumbs up.

"Mama's boy." Came a voice.

Alakay, surprised, looked at the light-brown cub at the end of the line. He had a good impression of Makunga, too, only without the black and white tuft on his head. Instead, dark brown fur cuddled between his head and ears. Austako stepped out of line, as well, to glare at the cub.

_You can't say that to me; I'm the Alpha-to-be. _Alakay wanted to shout at the cub. However, he held in his hate. The only way a good Alpha would become a good Alpha was to keep calm and form a strategy. A plan.

"Ignore him," Austako mouthed to Alakay, who nodded in response.

_Gong. _Zuba's staff hit the old tortoise shell behind him. "Let us begin the Rite of Passage ceremony," came Alakay's father's voice. "Who might be the first contestant?"

Three paws raised high into the air. All except for Alakay's.

"Hm..." Zuba had a hard time deciding, in which he was distracted with his own son unparticipating. "How about you, there? The dark, brown one?"

Austako took a step forward; his chest heaved outward in pride as he heard his parents chant and cheer for him.

"Good luck," the same tan cub crossed his arms. Then he coughed, "You'll need it."

Austako looked to Zuba as if in need of guidance.

"Choose your opponent." Zuba said.

Austako turned around – once, twice – three times. Once he became dizzy, his eyes set on a particular, muscular lion, lying on a small sheet of rock in the shade.

"Hey, uh, who's that?" he asked.

Many pairs of eyes stared at the strong lion, who seemed to be knocked unconscious.

"Austako!" Alakay whispered hoarsely. "That's Teetsi!"

"Teetsi?" Austako repeated. A groan erupted from the crowd.

"Oh, no, not Teetsi!" moaned Austako's mother.

"Teetsi?" the tan cub laughed again. "I'll bet you something good to fight that guy."

Austako looked the tan cub straight in the eye. "What's your name?"

"The name's Kotathi, _runt._" The tan cub replied, dusting off his fur. "I'd suggest you'd give me some space and get out of my way. Or else."

White creeped up Austako's neck as he raised his paw. "Um, Zuba, I'd like to choose Kotathi as my opponent. Would that be okay?"

Zuba nodded. "That'd be just fine, son."

Kotathi grinned. "That'd be just fine with me, _friend._"

Alakay couldn't believe it; his own best friend was challenging a bully cub he hardly knew. As the two cubs circled each other in the arena, they had a private conversation only they themselves could hear.

"Better watch that tail of yours, Austako." Kotathi warned. "'Cause I'll be chewing on it once I'm finished with you."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes, yeah."

Austako had no warning to give. Before he could charge, Kotathi tackled his chest. A cloud of dust circled around the two as they wrestled. Kotathi had a good grip on Austako's ear before they both somersaulted around the arena as only a ball of growling and fuzzy fury.

Alakay couldn't gulp. He wouldn't cry. His paw, however, reached out. Zuba took note of this, and for one moment, he thought about canceling the ceremony. But then he remembered. Makunga was watching his every move, waiting to jump in at the right moment and take over.

A scream made Zuba and Alakay cup their paws over their ears.

The crowd found Kotathi pinning Austako in the middle of the big red circle. At first, Alakay thought Austako was being a big baby, bawling his eyes out, and then he saw Kotathi's paws against Austako's throat.

He was choking Austako to death.

"Hey! What in the—"

"Stop it! Stop it!" Alakay screamed at Kotathi.

Kotathi lost grip of his opponent's throat; Austako leapt up and started gasping and panting for dear life.

Zuba thought different that of Alakay. _He's only trying to protect his friend... maybe he was afraid that the battle would get to violent._

_Gong. _"I declare that this battle is finished. The winner is Kotathi..."

Austako leapt up and stared at Alakay, then embraced him and wrapped his arms around Alakay. Not a word peeped from his mouth.

"Are you okay, Austako?"

Austako raised his head and loosened his grip. "I'm fine." His personality entered his heart again as he strutted back to the arena.

"Who'll be the next participant?"

Alakay gazed up at his father in confusion. How could he have not understood and seen the whole incident?

Only one paw raised high into the air.

"Alakay. You want to go next?"

_What in the—no! _

But Alakay's conscience spoke differently.

"Y-yes." Said a shaky voice. It was Alakay's, but it sounded awfully different.

"All right. Who will—"

"I choose Kotathi." Alakay became strong again.

The tan cub paused in his dusting. He turned to glare at Alakay, but when he saw the Alpha's gaze, he smiled smugly to him instead. Alakay wrinkled his nose.

Kotathi approached the smaller, shorter cub. "Looks like I'll have fun chewing you up instead."


	4. The Defeat and Hunt

I know Zuba was a bit out of character in the last chapter, but, I promise we'll see more of him in the story, okay? Six more chapters to go and we meet the zoosters.

Also, although this is optional, can you do me a favor for me in the reviews? Can you tell me whether or not antelope chew cud? I'll research it, but... yeah, thanks!

Now, for my mind-read...

...you want to _skip this_... and _read the story_...

********************

**Chapter Four**

**The Defeat and the Hunt**

Enraged, Kotathi leapt at Alakay with a growl, but Alakay dodged it. _I'm getting pretty good at this... _thought Alakay.

Growling under his breath, Kotathi charged at the cub again. Alakay leapt over the cub's shoulders and made a flawless snarl.

_Smack! _Alakay fell to the ground. When he rose, his paw did too to rub his cheek.

"Big mistake—"

_Smack! _Kotathi's paw flung Alakay to the ground again.

Zuba clenched his staff in his fist; he wanted to do something about this, but he knew he couldn't. He controlled himself as he saw Kotathi's shadow loom over his son.

"Oh, snap." Alakay whimpered.

Alakay dodged to the left as Kotathi went to the right. Kotathi yelped, holding his left paw in his other. Alakay bounded at him, leaping onto the cub's chest and tackling his shoulders. He growled in his face as they hit the hard ground and wrestled up a dust devil of fury.

It was just halfway through when Austako realized; Alakay was winning. The Alpha's son was winning.

"Hyah!" Alakay pinned his opponent's back.

Silence reigned throughout the crowd.

"Say it." Alakay said.

"All right, all right... I give."

"Not that," Alakay whispered. "That and an apology."

"Don't push it—" Kotathi began, but he saw the glare in Zuba's eyes again, and so he said, "I'm sorry."

Alakay's friend couldn't wait any longer; Austako raced onto the arena, gripped Alakay's wrist, and lifted it high in the air.

Zuba smiled. "Who wants to be next?" There was no doubt to Zuba that, thanks to Alakay, he was the happiest lion in the reserve.

******************

Time passed like there was no tomorrow. It sped by quickly. Austako and Alakay met up almost every day, often times exploring the corners of the reserve and the high hills above their pride's sleeping chambers. Most of the time they'd spend the night together near the watering hole or in a cave. Sometimes they'd get into trouble, like messing with the hippos when they weren't supposed to and doing things like teasing the younger cubs and getting away with it.

Both cubs grew so much older; Austako – the dark brown cub with the dark grey tuft crowning his head – grew into a greyish-silver lion with a black mane.

Alakay, however, colored differently – in which his eyes grew brighter and more colorful, and his brown fur lightened in tone and color. His spots and stripes faded. The bruise on his jaw – right below his lip – grew larger and more noticeable. It turned into a deep, brown scar.

Of course, Alakay remained the most skillful fisher and fighter. He was fully initiated in the pride. Someday, he knew, the day would come for him to take the most important lesson of a lion's life.

***********************

"Oh, don't be such a big baby, Ally-al." Austako galloped through the grass. "Now get over here and take it like a real lion."

Alakay disliked his friends always telling him to act like a real lion. He was a real lion... wasn't he? He was sure he was. Certain. Always knew it in his heart...

"_COME ON."_

"Oh, yeah, right!"

Alakay bounded after the dark grey lion, whose mane was just beginning to form around his shoulders, ears and cheeks. Austako's mane, unlike Alakay's, was shaped in a jagged-like oval. Alakay's was more like a stop-sign.

The two lions hiked up the hill, with Alakay stopping to pant and stare.

The sides of Austako's mouth lifted. "Look! See? There's the hunting grounds, now come on!" The black lion's paw jerked Alakay's arm down the hill, to where a straight, smooth plain lay stretched across the savannah. Behind it, mountains and deserts glimmered in the sunlight.

"Wow." Alakay gasped. "It's beautiful."

Austako nodded. "My mother loves coming here. She says it's the best place in all the reserve to hunt." Austako prepared himself, then slid down the slope. "Of course, not all of it belongs in the reserve. Half of it remains off the reserve."

"Off the reserve?" Alakay paused to ponder one moment.

"Yeah, off the reserve," Austako repeated.

"...Austako, have you ever wondered about, well, you know, heading off the... reserve?" Alakay more likely squeaked the word.

"HEADING OFF THE _WHAT?!"_

Alakay flinched. "The reserve...?"

"Alakay, you know that's insane!" Austako exploded. "Only an idiot would do something as stupid as that!"

"I don't like where this is going," Alakay whispered.

Austako continued, "Going off the reserve is nuts! You could get banished for doing that! It's our pride's first law."

Alakay frowned. "I thought our pride's first law was the food law."

"Nevermind that." Austako paused. "...That's not even _a law_, Alakay!"

Alakay felt dumbstruck as he slapped a paw over his face. Then, suddenly, his ears perked forward. Austako turned around at the faint rustling of grass. He turned to Alakay, smiling.

"Jackpot."

The two lions prowled on all fours into the grass, down the slope, into the two-foot-tall plain.

Right in front of them grazed an antelope. It stood in the centre, munching on the savannah grasses and chewing cud. The flies settling onto its skin stung like sharp needles fresh from a fire.

Two pairs of shoulder blades were hidden well in the grass as Austako prowled forward, paused to sniff the air, and continued after his prey again. The lion glanced behind his shoulder to wink at Alakay, who nodded.

Austako mouthed the words, "Come on." He turned his head to stare at the antelope, then rotated and mouthed, "Let's go."

Alakay rolled his eyes. "Easy peesy." He mouthed, leaping out of the grass and onto the antelope's hindquarters.

"Huh?" the female antelope shrieked. "Oh, lion! Lion!"

"Alakay!" Austako screamed.

Alakay only remembered his claws sinking into the animal's flesh before a pair of hooves knocked the breath out of his ribcage, and he landed in the fresh pile of grass nearby.


End file.
